The University of Guelph’s Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics has again ranked among the world’s top sustainability-focused business schools.

The sustainable business magazine Corporate Knights ranked the Lang MBA program 5th in the world and 2nd in Canada for its focus on sustainability. This marks the first time that the program ranks among the top 5 programs in the world and the third year in a row that the program has made the global top 10.

Now in its 19th year, the Better World MBA Ranking assesses business schools worldwide for sustainability measures including dedicated research institutes and centres, core curriculum courses, faculty research articles and citations, and faculty gender and racial diversity.

“We are proud to be, once again, recognized for our commitment to developing ethical and responsible leaders that use business as a force for good,” said Dr. Lysa Porth, dean of the school. “As educators, we have a responsibility to the future to ensure business leaders act responsibly and ethically. We are driving higher sustainability standards through education. Lang faculty consistently publish progressive and groundbreaking research in leading journals and are globally recognized for their focus on sustainability.”

Dr. Lysa Porth

Other prominent business schools in the 2021 global rankings include the Schulich School of Business, University of California Berkeley and Warwick Business School.

Corporate Knights evaluated 147 MBA programs, including the 2021 Financial Times 100 Global MBA programs; every program that made the 2020 Top 40 in the Corporate Knights Better World MBA Ranking; and select, accredited MBA programs that opted for evaluation.

“Every MBA program in the world should be instilling holistic purpose in leaders, ensuring they have the skills, tools and values to build a more inclusive, healthier economy that’s beneficial to society and in harmony with the natural world, and the Better World business schools are leading the way,” said Toby Heaps, CEO of Corporate Knights.

Offered online along with on-campus residential experiences, the Lang MBA program is designed for managers and executives in finance, management, government, hospitality, and agriculture and related industries. The program features three unique specializations, including one in sustainable commerce.

Earlier this year, Lang launched its Institute for Sustainable Commerce, a hub for business sustainability research and academics at U of G.